Caster.



Patented Mar. 26, |901.

J..P. Baumes'.

(No Model.)

aww/MM d?, @my

NITnD STATES PATENT irren.

JABEZ P. HENRIS, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

CASTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,426, dated March 26, 1901.

Application filed July 21, 1900. Serial No. 24,428. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JABEZ P. HENRIES, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Mount Vernon,in thev county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oasters, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to an improvement in casters, and more particularly to so-called ball-bearing casters, the presentinvention having provision for cushioning the main ball of the caster.

The primary object of the invention is to reduce the friction to a minimum; and with this in View the invention consists, in the main, of a ball adapted to rest upon the floor, antifriction-balls which rest upon this main ball, cushioning means, and ball1etainers constructed and adapted to confine the main ball in place and to yield under the weight of the furniture in order to recede slightly from the main ball and prevent friction thereon as far as possible.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my improved caster applied to the leg of a piece of furni ture. Fig. 2is a view in verticalsection. Fig. 3 isa bottom plan View of the caster with the main ball removed, and Figs. 4 and 5 are bearing-plates.

A represents a ferrule of sheet or cast metal, in the interior of which lugs l 1 are formed in pairs equidistant from one another. These lugs are beveled or rounded off on their outer edges by preference, and between the pairs balls 8 8 are confined. These balls 8 8 rest upon the mai-n caster-ball 9, constituting antifriction-bearings therefor. Above the lugs 1 l and restingthereon meansis provided for retaining the balls in the sockets formed by the lugs, and this means consists of the bearing-plates 5 and 5', (shown separatelyin Figs. 4 and 5, respectively,) but which might be made in one piece, if preferred. As shown, the lowerplate 5 is provided with a central concavity 7, which arches over the main ball y 9, as shown in Fig. 2, and affords clearance low, and unitedly the openings 5 and the seats 6 6 afford sockets for the antifrictionballs S 8. As previously stated, the same results could be obtained by making these two plates in one and providing them with the concavity 7 at the center and the several sockets 6 at the edgesin position to lie above the space formed between the lugs on the inner wall of the ferrule. l

Immediately above the plates 5 5 a washer 11 is placed. This Washer is of elastic material and constitutes a yielding backing for the plates 5 and 5. Above washer 11 a yielding disk 4 is placed, and this disk maybe provided with a centrally-located upwardlyprojecting teat 4'.

All the above parts are assembled in the ferrule A, and the plates, disk, and washer rest upon the lugs l 1.

The ball-retainers 1212 are composed of wire bent at their lower ends into widened loops 13 13, which conform to the curvature of the main ball 9, whichitis their function to contine in place, they extending a short distance below the center of said ball. From their lower ends the wire constituting these ret-ainers is bent inwardly at right angles, substantially as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, around the edges of the disk 4, and from thence radially over said disk until they reach the central teat 4', when they are bent upwardlyin contact with the outer surfaces of the latter, where they are confined by a ring 14 embracing them from the exterior. 'llience this wire is bent upwardly and spirally around a core 15, as shown at 1b', to constitute the shank of the caster, which shank is adapted to hold it securely in the socket 17, formed in the lower end of the leg of furniture. In the disposition of these retainers they occupy the spaces formed between the pairs of lugs -1 1, and from this point they extend upwardly through the notches 10 10 in plates 5 and 5', where they are retained in position against accidental displacement.

Referring to Fig. 2, which shows the caster in position, it will be seen how it is intended to operate. The shank being in position in IOO the socket 17 of the furniture-leg, the lower end of the leg rests upon the radial portions of the wire, which constitute the shank and retainers, and by reason of the weight applied at this point the retainers are spread outwardly, thus relieving the ball 9 of the tight grip otherwise resulting from their position and construction. The result is that when the furniture is in position upon the floor friction upon the balls 9 is reduced to a minimum, and the furniture may in consequence be moved with perfect ease over the surface of the floor. If occasion arises to lift the furniture, however, the pressure being removed from these radial portions of the wire, the retain ers spring inwardly, tightly engaging the balls 9 and preventing their accidental displacement. In this way the annoyance ofthe loss of the ball or roller when a piece of furniture is lifted is avoided and at the same time friction is reduced and nearly eliminated altogether when the weight of the furniture is upon the caster, so that the furniture may be moved about the room wherein it is placed with the utmost ease and facility.

What I claim as new, and desire to secureA by Letters Patent, is-

l. A caster consisting of a ferrulc having sockets therein balls retained in the sockets, a main caster-ball upon which these ball-bearings rest and retainers embracing the main ball extending upwardly within the ferrule and terminating above said fcrrule in the shank of the caster.

2. A caster consisting of a ferrule having ball-sockets therein, ball-bearings in these sockets, a main caster-ball upon which the ball-bearings turn and spring-retainers embracing the main ball, a portion of said retainers extending radially whereon they receive the weight of the furniture to cause them to spring outwardly from the main caster-ball.

A caster consisting of a ferrule having ball-sockets therein, ball-bearings in these sockets, a main caster-ball upon which the ball-bearings turn and spring-retainers embracing the main ball, a portion of said retainers extending radially whereon to receive the weight of the furniture to cause an Outward expansion of the retainers to release the caster-ball and the inner ends of the retain ers bent to form a shank for the caster.

e. A caster consisting of a ferrule having ball-bearin gs therein, a main caster-ball upon which the ball-bearings turn, a yielding back- Grease ing above the bearings and retainers embrac ing the main ball and extending above the yielding backing and terminating in a shank for the casters.

5. A caster consisting of a ferrule having ball-bearings therein, a main ball upon which these bearings turn, a socket-plate above the bearings, a yielding backingabove the socketplate and retainers embracing the sides of the main easter-ball and extending radially over the yielding backing Where they receive the weight of the furniture thereon, to cause the retainers to spread under said Weight.

6. In a caster, the combination with a ferrule provided with internally-projecting lugs and a plate above said lugs, said plate provided with concavities, balls seated in said concavities and between said lugs, ball-re tainers extending between the pairs ot lugs, said ball-retainers being resilient, a casterball held by the retainers and preventing the displacement of the antifriction-balls, and a cushioning means above said plate.

7. In a caster, the combination with a ferrule provided with interiially-projecting lugs, a plate above said lugs, said plate having concavities in its surface, balls seated in said concavities and between the lugs, recesses in the plate, resilient ball-retainers projecting through said recesses, a ball retained thereby, said ball also retaining the antifrictionballs in place, a cushioning means above the plate, said ball-retainers forming a support Vfor said plate and cushioning means and the ends of said retainers forming the shank ofthe caster.

S. A cushioned caster comprising a ferrule having ball-bearings therein, a caster-ball, a cushioning device above said bearings, ballretainers embracing the caster-ball and extending radially above the cushioning device terminating in the shank portion of the caster, said radial portions adapted to receive the end of the leg of furniture and by the weight applied thereon, forcing the retainers outwardly and when the leg is lifted` allowing said retainers to spring toward each other to prevent accidental displacement of the main caster-ball.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JABEZ P. HENRIES.

Witnesses WM. J. MARSHALL, W. L. CONKLIN.

IOO 

